BOOK
In the Name of Security Secrecy, Surveillance and Journalism
(2018)
Additional Information
Book Details
Abstract
The terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center in New York on 11 September 2001 saw the start of the so-called war on terror. The aim of ‘In the Name of Security – Secrecy, Surveillance and Journalism’ is to assess the impact of surveillance and other security measures on in-depth public interest journalism. How has the global fear-driven security paradigm sparked by 11 September affected journalism?
At the core of the book sits what the authors have labeled the ‘trust us dilemma’. Governments justify passing, at times, oppressive and far-reaching anti-terror laws to keep citizens safe from terror. By doing so governments are asking the public to trust their good intentions and the integrity of the security agencies. But how can the public decide to trust the government and its agencies if it does not have access to information on which to base its decision?
‘In the Name of Security – Secrecy, Surveillance and Journalism’ takes an internationally comparative approach using case studies from the powerful intelligence-sharing group known as the Five Eyes consisting of the US, Canada, the UK, Australia and New Zealand. Chapters assessing a selection of EU countries and some of the BRICS countries provide additional and important points of comparison to the English-speaking countries that make up the Five Eyes.
Johan Lidberg is associate professor in journalism in the School of Media, Film and Journalism, at Monash University in Melbourne, Australia, where he is also the research coordinator and deputy head of the journalism department.
Denis Muller is senior research fellow at the Centre for Advancing Journalism, Melbourne University, Australia.
The terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center in New York on 11 September 2001 saw the start of the so-called war on terror. The aim of ‘In the Name of Security – Secrecy, Surveillance and Journalism’is to assess the impact of surveillance and other security measures on in-depth public interest journalism. How has the global fear-driven security paradigm sparked by 11 September affected journalism? Moves by governments to expand the powers of intelligence and security organizations and legislate for the retention of personal data for several years have the potential to stall investigative journalism. Such journalism, with its focus on accountability and scrutiny of powerful interests in society, is a pillar of democracy.
Investigative journalism informs society by providing information that enables citizens to have input into democratic processes. But will whistleblowers acting in public interest in future contact reporters if they risk being exposed by state and corporate surveillance? Will journalists provide fearless coverage of security issues when they risk jail for reporting them?
At the core of ‘In the Name of Security – Secrecy, Surveillance and Journalism’ sits what the authors have labeled the ‘trust us dilemma’. Governments justify passing, at times, oppressive and far-reaching anti-terror laws to keep citizens safe from terror. By doing so governments are asking the public to trust their good intentions and the integrity of the security agencies. But how can the public decide to trust the government and its agencies if it does not have access to information on which to base its decision?
‘In the Name of Security – Secrecy, Surveillance and Journalism’ takes an internationally comparative approach using case studies from the powerful intelligence-sharing group known as the Five Eyes consisting of the US, Canada, the UK, Australia and New Zealand. Chapters assessing a selection of EU countries and some of the BRICS countries provide additional and important points of comparison to the English-speaking countries that make up the Five Eyes.
The core questions in the book are investigated and assessed in the disciplines of journalism studies, law and international relations. The topics covered include an overview and assessment of the latest technological developments allowing the mass surveillance of large populations including the use of drones (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles).
Table of Contents
Section Title | Page | Action | Price |
---|---|---|---|
Cover | Cover 1 | ||
Front Matter | i | ||
Half-title | i | ||
Title page | iii | ||
Copyright information | iv | ||
Table of contents | v | ||
List of tables | ix | ||
Chapter Int-11 | 1 | ||
Introduction | 1 | ||
The Role of Journalism in Liberal Democracies | 4 | ||
Approach and Methodology | 5 | ||
The Five Eyes | 5 | ||
Further Points of Comparison | 8 | ||
The Tshwane Principles | 8 | ||
Axis of Deceit | 9 | ||
Overview of the Book | 10 | ||
References | 12 | ||
Chapter 1 The Public Privacy Conundrum – Anonymity and the Law in an Era of Mass Surveillance | 15 | ||
Introduction | 15 | ||
The Technological Threats | 16 | ||
The Limitations of Laws That Regulate Surveillance | 18 | ||
Overview | 18 | ||
Australia | 19 | ||
Telecommunications privacy laws | 19 | ||
Surveillance laws | 19 | ||
Access to metadata | 20 | ||
Case study | 21 | ||
Canada | 21 | ||
Interceptions and surveillance | 21 | ||
Information privacy laws | 22 | ||
Human rights | 23 | ||
Access to metadata | 23 | ||
New Zealand | 23 | ||
Interception and surveillance laws | 23 | ||
Information privacy laws | 24 | ||
Human rights | 24 | ||
Access to metadata | 24 | ||
United Kingdom | 24 | ||
Communications privacy laws | 24 | ||
Other privacy laws | 25 | ||
Human Rights | 25 | ||
Access to metadata | 25 | ||
Case study | 25 | ||
United States | 26 | ||
Surveillance laws | 27 | ||
Information privacy laws | 27 | ||
Human Rights | 27 | ||
Access to metadata | 28 | ||
The Practical Implications for Journalists | 28 | ||
Conclusion | 29 | ||
References | 30 | ||
Chapter 2 Undesirable Types – The Surveillance of Journalists | 33 | ||
Introduction | 33 | ||
The ‘Nuisance’ | 35 | ||
‘A Man to be Checked’ | 37 | ||
The Cold War and ‘Communist Stuff’ | 38 | ||
The File as Biography | 44 | ||
Conclusion | 46 | ||
References | 47 | ||
Chapter 3 Surveillance and National Security ‘Hyper-Legislation’ – Calibrating... | 51 | ||
Introduction | 51 | ||
Background: The National Security Hyper-Legislative Threat to Free Expression | 53 | ||
Free Expression in International Human Rights Instruments and Five Eyes Constitutions | 56 | ||
Free expression in the United States | 56 | ||
Free expression in Canada | 58 | ||
Free expression in the UK | 59 | ||
Free expression in New Zealand | 60 | ||
Case Study: The Australian Situation | 61 | ||
Case Study: National Security ‘Hyper-Legislation’ in Australia | 64 | ||
Special Recognition for Journalists and Media through Shield Laws | 67 | ||
Surveillance and Journalists’ Sources – International and Australian Research | 69 | ||
Conclusion | 70 | ||
References | 73 | ||
Chapter 4 The Ethics of Reporting National Security Matters | 77 | ||
Introduction | 77 | ||
A Definitional Challenge | 77 | ||
Truth-telling | 79 | ||
The public interest | 80 | ||
Protection of sources | 81 | ||
Independence from government | 85 | ||
Harm | 86 | ||
Case Study: The Australian and Counterterrorism | 88 | ||
Conclusion | 93 | ||
References | 97 | ||
Chapter 5 When one Person’s Noble Whistleblower Becomes Another’s Poisonous Leaker | 101 | ||
Introduction | 101 | ||
Journalist–Source Relationships | 102 | ||
Journalists and whistleblowers | 105 | ||
Case Studies | 106 | ||
Case one: Deep Throat | 106 | ||
Case two: Plamegate | 109 | ||
Case three: Andrew Wilkie | 111 | ||
Case four: Kathy Jackson | 112 | ||
Discussion | 115 | ||
Conclusion | 116 | ||
References | 117 | ||
Chapter 6 Who Watches the Watchmen? Access to Information, Accountability and Government Secrecy | 121 | ||
Introduction | 121 | ||
The Evolution of Freedom of Information | 122 | ||
Case Studies | 128 | ||
Sweden: In utmost secrecy | 128 | ||
United States: CIA interrogation/torture manuals | 130 | ||
Canada: The C-51 Bill controversy | 131 | ||
New Zealand: The Ahmed Zaoui case | 132 | ||
Australia and the United Kingdom: FOI does not apply | 133 | ||
Discussion | 134 | ||
Conclusion | 136 | ||
References | 137 | ||
Chapter 7 Eyes and Ears in the Sky – Drones and Mass Surveillance | 139 | ||
Introduction | 139 | ||
Drones, Drones Everywhere | 140 | ||
Reporting Drones | 143 | ||
Drone journalism | 148 | ||
Regulating drone journalists | 149 | ||
Conclusion: Drone Journalism and the Future Normalisation of the Eyes in the Sky? | 152 | ||
References | 154 | ||
Chapter 8 Looking Over my Shoulder – Public Perceptions of Surveillance | 159 | ||
Introduction | 159 | ||
Background | 159 | ||
And Then There Was 9/11 | 161 | ||
Attitudes in the United States | 167 | ||
Attitudes in the United Kingdom | 168 | ||
Conclusion | 169 | ||
References | 171 | ||
Chapter 9 Journalism and National Security in Three Bisa Countries – Brazil, India and South Africa | 173 | ||
Introduction | 173 | ||
Brazil | 174 | ||
Access to information and investigative journalism in Brazil | 176 | ||
Protection of journalistic sources and whistleblowing in Brazil | 177 | ||
Conclusion: Brazil | 179 | ||
India | 180 | ||
Defining national security | 181 | ||
Confidential classification, no declassification | 183 | ||
RTI’s contradictory orders | 183 | ||
Denials on frivolous grounds | 184 | ||
Conclusion: India | 185 | ||
South Africa | 185 | ||
Protection of State Security Bill | 187 | ||
Whistleblowers | 188 | ||
Case study on protection of sources | 188 | ||
Conclusion: South Africa | 189 | ||
Conclusion Concerning the BISA Countries | 189 | ||
Acknowledgements | 192 | ||
References | 192 | ||
Chapter 10 Journalism and National Security in the European Union | 195 | ||
Introduction | 195 | ||
Information Access in the EU | 197 | ||
FOI in Denmark | 198 | ||
FOI in Germany | 199 | ||
Case Studies | 200 | ||
The European Union | 200 | ||
Denmark | 202 | ||
Germany | 202 | ||
Discussion | 203 | ||
Conclusion | 207 | ||
References | 207 | ||
Chapter 11 The Security Reporter Today – Journalists and Journalism in an Age of Surveillance | 209 | ||
Introduction | 209 | ||
Security Reporters and the Interpretive Community of Australian Journalism | 210 | ||
Discursive Strategies and the Construction of Journalism | 212 | ||
Taking Australia into a Reign of Terror: Journalism, Democracy and National Security | 213 | ||
This is not a law about journalists | 214 | ||
An outrageous attack on press freedom | 215 | ||
A real danger to journalists | 217 | ||
Journalists and Journalism in the Five Eyes Network | 219 | ||
Conclusion: Freedom, Risk and Security – The Security Reporter Today | 223 | ||
References | 225 | ||
Conclusion: Journalism and The State of Exception | 231 | ||
Five Eyes Compared | 234 | ||
The Tshwane Principles – The Way Ahead | 234 | ||
The Open Government Partnership | 237 | ||
The Rise and Rule of President Donald Trump | 238 | ||
Russian intervention | 238 | ||
Trump’s autocratic tendencies | 239 | ||
Trump and the media | 239 | ||
Never-Ending State of Exception? | 241 | ||
References | 242 | ||
End Matter | 249 | ||
List of contributors | 245 | ||
Index | 249 |